Ricochetting basketball apparatus

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a game designed to use relatively small objects in a manner requiring direct action on the part of a participant or player challenging to finger dexterity, hand and eye coordination, and three-dimensional vision. A small, open-top box adapted to be disposed on a table, and the like, is provided with two upwardly facing surfaces placed at a predetermined angle to each other, as approximately 65*, so that a small ball will be directed into a small basket also in the box near the surfaces when dropped from a selected height onto the surface closer to the basket. A ball return is provided.

United States Patent [191 Slane 1 RICOCHETTING BASKETBALL APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Gary R. Slane, 12667 Olive St. Rd.,

St. Louis, Mo. 63141 22 Filed: July'2l, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 164,608

273/1.s R 51 1nt.Cl ..A63b 72/00 [58] Field of Search 2711/15, 85 R, 95 R,

273/95 D, 95 H, 102 R, 105 11,101,103

1 1 1 v I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,368,814. 2/1968 Kolwicz 273/95R Weinberg 273/105 R 111 3,761,089 [451 Sept. 25, 1973 6/1939 Frost 273/103 2,889,149 6/1959 Williams 273/105 R Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney-Edmund C. Rogers et a1.

57 ABSTRACT There is disclosed a game designed to use relatively small objects in a manner requiring direct action on the part of a participant or player challenging to finger dexterity, hand and eye coordination, and threedimensional vision. A small, open-top box adapted to be disposed on a table, and the like, is provided with two upwardly facing surfaces placed at a predeterminedangle to each other, as approximately 65, so

that a small ball will be directed into a small basket also in the box near the surfaces when dropped from a selected height onto the surface closer to the basket. A ball return is provided. 1 1

i 13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures l RICOCHETTING BASKETBALL APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to games of skill, and more particularly to a parlor game, and the like, requiring direct action on the part of the participant, which is challenging to, finger dexterity, hand and eye coordination, and three-dimensional vision.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the prior patented and unpatented art are many games particularly adapted for play on a table, and the like. Many such games require skills of hand and eye in proficient exexution of the requirements established by the rules. However, in the area of games of skill, there always exists the need of new games which combine fun and physical skills. The, present novel game fulfills these requirements in a most satisfying manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, the present novel drop basketball game comtable, or the like, for play. Two flat wooden blocks, metal plates, or the like, are mounted on opposing walls of the box with the lower edges in contiguous or spaced relation and with the opposing surfaces at an angle less than 90. A miniature basketball basket is mounted on an end of the box near and at about a level of the top of one of the blocks in position to receive a small ball dropped vertically onto the near block and deflected by it and the far block for scoring a goal by a participant. A ball return is provided. 1

Objects of the invention are to provide a novel game of skill which combines fun and physical skills, which qualifies as a satisfying fulfillment of the continuing long need in the game art for additional games of fun and physical skills, which can be played competitively, or by a single participant, with satisfaction, which is a sturdy structure adapted for years of use, which can be played and enjoyed by children and adults alike, and which otherwise fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a game structure made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the game structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of said game structure looking from right to left in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal, cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 4--4 of FIG. 2, the suc cessful play action path of a ball being shown in broken lines with arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged, horizontal crosssectional view taken on substantially the line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the ball.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a drop basketball game unit constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Broadly, the unit 10 includes a playing box 12, angularly disposed ball striking blocks or plates 14 and 16, a basket assembly 18, a ball return structure 20, and a ball 22.

The box 12 may be of any suitable material, as wood, metal, and the like, and includes opposed side walls 24 and 26, opposed end walls 28 and 30, and a bottom 32 to the bottom side of which are secured supporting feet 34 of rubber, felt, or other suitable material by adhesive, or otherwise, as desired. The bottom 32 may be omitted and the feet 34 secured to the bottom edges of the walls. The blocks or plates 14 and 16 are illustrated as secured to the opposing side walls 24 and 26 by ad? hesive, but may fit into converging slots or grooves in the inner faces of said walls 24, 26, or be otherwise sup ported. The blocks or plates 14 and 16 are disposed at an angle of approximately 65 which has been found to be a suitable angle for a drop basketball game unit 10, using a ball 22 of solid soft rubber dropped from a height of about 8 inches. Manifestly, the height of the drop, the angle between the blocks or plates 14 and 16, the distance between the block or plate 16 and the basket assembly will vary depending upon the material of the ball, but the determination of the most desirable distances for uniform participation of all players presents no difficulty. In the illustrated game unit 10, the center of the basketassembly 18 is approximately 4 inches from a target spot 36 on the surface of the block or plate 16. I i g The basket assembly 18 includes a wire loop 38, the

free ends of which extend into openings in the end wall 30 in a tight supporting fit. A basket 40 in the form of a sleeve segment is mounted on the loop 38 by means of a closed channel 42 formed at one end of the former by turning back the edge and stitching the free end along 44. The wire loop 38 is threaded through the closed channel 42 prior to mounting of the basket assembly 18 on the end wall 30. The basket 40 is of cloth or other suitable material.

The ball return assembly 20 is disposed beneath the basket assembly 18 and includes a false floor 46 of plastic or other material secured to the opposed side walls 24 and 26 for support and formed as clearly indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 to direct the ball 22 towards and through an opening 48 in the end wall 30 and onto a ball supporting wire. rack 50 mounted on the end wall 30 by suitable screws52 (FIG. 5). It is clear that the ball 22 will be directed onto the rack 50 and into the position illustrated in FIG. 4 whether it falls into the space between the block or plate 16 and the end wall 30 or successfully negotiates the basket assembly 18.

The ball 22 may be solid or hollow and of selected material as soft rubber, plastic, cork, and the like. Preferably, it is of a size just permitting passage thereof through the basket 40 which increases the accuracy re quired to score a basket or goal.

The present drop basketball game can be enjoyed by a single player or many participants. Itcan beplayed by any number of participants set up as teams or in individual competition, and under such scoring rules as one may desire. For example, assuming individual competition and four players, each in tLlll'fl drops the ball 22, a score earning an additional free drop. Assuming 1 point per score, the first player to score 1 1 points wins the game. I

In FIG. 4, the path of a successfully dropped ball 22 is illustrated by the broken lines and arrows, the ball 22 striking the target 36 on the plate 16, then the surface of the plate 14, which deflects it over the top of the plate 16 and into and through the basket assembly 18 and onto the rack 50 of the ball return assembly 20 for retrieval.

Some dimensions have been set forth above as a matter of guidance. In the drop basketball game unit 10 referred to above, the box is substantially 8% inches long and 4 inches wide by inches deep, internal dimensions. Manifestly, other dimensions will obtain where a larger or smaller unit is desired and where, as is pointed out above, the ball 22 is of a different material, etc. It will be understood that the playing box 12 is a convenient support for the playing elements and a container for the ball in play, but any support and container, as a wire cage, for example, may be employed.

It is clear from the foregoing that the present novel drop basketball game unit fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, an substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a game of skill comprising first and second surface means and a ball receiving means, the first surface means being disposed relative to the second surface means to deflect a ball directed downwardly in a vertical path toward the surface of the first surface means off the first surface means toward the' second surface means, and the second surface means being disposed relative to the ball receiving means to deflect the ball from the second surface means in an upwardly directed arcuate path toward the ball receiving means.

2. The gameof skill of claim 1 wherein the first and second surface means are angularly disposed relative to each other.

3. The game of skill of claim 2 in which said first surface means is of vertical height permitting deflection over the top thereof and to said receiving means of a ball deflected by the second surface means.

4. The game of skill of claim 3 in which said ball receiving means comprises a miniature basketball game basket.

5. The game of skill of claim 4 in which said two surfaces are disposed at an angle relative to each other of substantially 65.

6. The game of skill of claim 1 in which said first surface means includes a defined target for a ball dropped from a predetermined height area, said target being correlated with said second surface means and said receiving means to direct a dropped ball striking said target to said other surface and thence over said one surface and into the receiving means.

7. The game of skill of claim 1 and including ball return means.

8. The game of skill of claim 1 comprising an open box-like structure, said first and second surface means and said receiving means being mounted in said box.

9. The game of skill of claim 8 in which said first and second surface means include two plates angularly disposed relative to each other and having flat generally opposed surfaces, said plates being mounted to the box.

10. The game of skill of claim 9 in which said receiving means comprises a small basketball game basket, said basket being mounted to the box, the first surface means being disposed between the second surface means and the basket.

11. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the basket has a rim disposed generally horizontally, so that for the ball to move in its arcuate path from said second angularly disposed plate through the rim of the basket, the ball must move downwardly therethrough.

12. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the angularly disposed plates are disposed at an acute angle relative to each other.

13. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the angularly disposed plates and basket are below the top edges of the sides and end of the box.

UNITED STATES PATENT oTTTcT CERTIFICATE 0F QQREQ'HON Patent No. '3 761 ,089 Dated September 25, 19?} Inventor-( Gary R. Slane It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and. that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 6, line 1L "other" should read second and one should read first Signed and sealed this 26th day of March 197A.

(SEAL) Attest: EDWARD I'LBLETCHERJR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents F ORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-F'69 h U,S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 2 I959 0-366-334. \J 

1. In combination, a game of skill comprising first and second surface means and a ball receiving means, the first surface means being disposed relative to the second surface means to deflect a ball directed downwardly in a vertical path toward the surface of the first surface means off the first surface means toward the second surface means, and the second surface means being disposed relative to the ball receiving means to deflect the ball from the second surface means in an upwardly directed arcuate path toward the ball receiving means.
 2. The game of skill of claim 1 wherein the first and second surface means are angularly disposed relative to each other.
 3. The game of skill of claim 2 in which said first surface means is of vertical height permitting deflection over the top thereof and to said receiving means of a ball deflected by the second surface means.
 4. The game of skill of claim 3 in which said ball receiving means comprises a miniature basketball game basket.
 5. The game of skill of claim 4 in which said two surfaces are disposed at an angle relative to each other of substantially 65* .
 6. The game of skill of claim 1 in which said first surface means includes a defined target for a ball dropped from a predetermined height area, said target being correlated with said second surface means and said receiving means to direct a dropped ball striking said target to said other surface and thence over said one surface and into the receiving means.
 7. The game of skill of claim 1 and including ball return means.
 8. The game of skill of claim 1 comprising an open box-like structure, said first and second surface means and said receiving means being mounted in said box.
 9. The game of skill of claim 8 in which said first and second surface means include two plates angularly disposed relative to each other and having flat generally opposed surfaces, said plates being mounted to the box.
 10. The game of skill of claim 9 in which said receiving means comprises a small basketball game basket, said basket being mounted to the box, the first surface means being disposed between the second surface means and the basket.
 11. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the basket has a rim disposed generally horizontally, so that for the ball to move in its arcuate path from said second angularly disposed plate through the rim of the basket, the ball must move downwardly therethrough.
 12. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the angularly disposed plates are disposed at an acute angle relative to each other.
 13. The game of skill of claim 10 wherein the angularly disposed plates and basket are below the top edges of the sides and end of the box. 